What does the Bible say about Cohabitation?

The Bible says that cohabitation is wrong. By the word “cohabitation,” we are referring to the practice of a man and a woman living together, and sharing the intimacy of sex, without being married. The only sexual relations that are approved by God are inside the covenant of marriage.

Cohabitation is not a modern trend; it dates back through most of history. In the Roman city of Corinth, sex outside of marriage was common, so much so that the converts to Christianity had written to the Apostle Paul about the problem. His reply was: “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” (1 Cor. 7:1-3 ESV). Paul gave this instruction because he understood that God’s purpose for sex was inside the commitment of marriage. Sex outside the marriage relationship is call “sexual immorality.”

When we go back to the creation story in the book of Genesis, we read: “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Gen. 2:25 NIV). We can already see that God is calling the man (Adam) and woman (Eve) husband and wife. God formed Adam from the “dust of the ground,” but when it came to Eve, God took part of Adam’s rib and made the perfect mate for him, and then commanded them to “Be fruitful and increase in number” (Gen. 1:28a NIV). God ordained marriage between a man and woman when He said: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

Obedience to God’s commands is certainly where the blessings are. This is equally true when it comes to marriage and the sharing of sexual intimacy. Proverbs 18:22 promises: “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”